Penn State football suspends Fred Hansard in response to sideline shove
Penn State Nittany Lions football defensive tackle Fred Hansard is suspended for the first half of this weekend’s game against Michigan following an incident on the sideline last Saturday in Maryland.
Hansard appeared to shove Terps quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa after the end of a play in which he ran out of bounds into the Penn State sideline.
Hansard issued the following apology for his actions on Twitter on Monday.
“I would like to extend my sincere apologies for the unfortunate incident that took place on the sideline on Saturday,” he wrote. “It was truly an act of impulse, and not malice. I did not and would not intentionally try to hurt another player. I believe in the integrity and the rules of the game. My actions were not in line with the expectations we have for ourselves as a Penn State Football program. Please accept my apology for any unsportsmanlike behavior.
“I would also like to apologize to my teammate and brother, Rasheed Walker. Not only did my actions make you the subject of false public criticism on Saturday, but I also misrepresented what it means to wear #53 for Penn State football.”
The second line of Hansard’s apology makes reference to an error made by the broadcast and some observers of the game, who thought Walker was the one who shoved Tagovailoa.
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Hansard has played 33 snaps on defense this season, including five last week. He has also played a pair of special teams snaps, but hasn’t appeared on that unit since week six.
Franklin said he initially wasn’t aware of what had happened, then saw the clip after the game.
“Obviously, the optics of it don’t look great,” Franklin said.
He did, however, defend Hansard’s character, noting that he’s impressed Franklin during his four years at Penn State.
“Fred Hansard’s been here for four years,” Franklin said. “He’s been a model citizen, a model student-athlete, he’s a super impressive young man that’s going to go on and do great things. He’s got a great mom and dad. Just like in his statement that he put out, I know the optics of it don’t look great, but I don’t think Fred had any intentions to do anything to hurt anyone or anything like that.
“I think it was a reaction. But, at the end of the day, it’s not a good look.”
The Big Ten had reached out to ask if Penn State planned to discipline Hansard, Franklin said.
“Fred’s been a class act since he got here,” Franklin said. “But I also understand that when something like that happens and it doesn’t look good, there needs to be a reaction.
“I just hope that everybody understands that that’s not who Fred Hansard is.”
